Thailand's health minister helped plant cannabis seedlings Thursday as the government nurtures plans to harvest the multibillion-dollar potential of medical marijuana.
The kingdom in 2018 became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise medical marijuana, although many Thais have long used the herb in traditional treatments. The government has invested in the extraction, distillation and marketing of cannabis oils for use in the health industry.
Wearing a hairnet and green gardening gloves, deputy prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul joined health officials planting seedlings at Thailand's second industrial-scale marijuana greenhouse at Nong Yai, Chonburi province.
In a statement, Anutin said the administration wanted to "support with sincerity patients who need to use cannabis for treatment". The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation's 1,550-square-metre facility will house 1,300 plants supplying marijuana products to hospitals and clinics.
The government wants to further broaden Thailand's laws on cultivating cannabis.
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